The last firework exploded at 11:22 p.m. The signal that Riverbend 2010 was over had been given in the form of a pyrotechnic explosive. I was home by midnight. My doggie, who said he missed me terribly over the past 9 days, was beside himself. It was almost like he knew it was over. My little Sea Ray boat had sent me a message that she missed me, too. The “Sea Monkey” has been quietly awaiting the end of Riverbend for almost two weeks. I think the part that upset her most was the fact I had put in a new battery on my last trip out, and yet had left her in dry storage at Erwin Marine ever since she received this new lease on life.
Booger Holler, the band with the funny name, opened the evening for us with a wonderful performance that had a great crowd dancing and hollering for more. One of their fine musicians told me before their set that if you have a name like Booger Holler, you better be good. They were.
Hall Of Fame band Overland Express came up next, after being introduced by Dennis Haskins, their former manager. If you recognize his name, it's because he played Mr. Belding on the TV series Saved By the Bell. I loved that show – Zack always did something a little bit wrong, but then learned his lesson by the end of the show.
Overland kicked in with many of their familiar hits, and spiced it up with a few new ones. The crowd went nuts, as they always do when the band makes one of their rare appearances together. By the time the band left the stage at 8 p.m., the entire “green” was full and all chairs were facing the band that Chattanooga has loved over the past 5 decades. They have taken the stage hundreds or maybe thousands of times before, yet this one seemed special to both the fans and the band. They had fun in the heat on that stage, and the crowd felt it. They didn’t need Charlie Daniels to make this performance special, just a few thousand fans.
The Charlie Daniels Band closed out the Riverbend 2010 festival, with the 73-year old fiddle player looking good and sounding good. He has been working out lately and seems to have trimmed down. He played the fiddle and the guitar like a 33-year old. He let the band do a few songs on their own, including a drum solo that went on forever, but it was really cool when the drummer kept the beat with both kickers, all the while drinking a beer and wiping the sweat from his brow. Daniels did a wonderful rendition of Amazing Grace, and moments later did an absolutely beautiful job with the National Anthem. About 70,000 people stood up for the Anthem, which was quite a sight. He finished off his show, as predicted, with Devil Went Down To Georgia. Moments later, the sky was ablaze with one of the finest fireworks displays in the country. At 11:22, the last shell exploded. My dog Chewy and my boat were happy again.
My competitor from another daily newspaper had this to say, “Clearly, this year's emphasis on local artists was a tremendous success. Every time I saw a crowd gathered en masse for a local musician, it made my pride for the local scene swell just a little more.” For reasons known only to a few people and the local bands that play Riverbend, I can’t even tell you how proud I am of the local music presented at this year’s festival.
In a couple of days, watch for my annual Riverbend Report Card. I have the red pen and gold stars ready to grade the festival. This is usually the heaviest read column of the year that I write, so let me know what you thought of Riverbend by writing me at davrik2000@yahoo.com. Riverbend 2011 is just 348 days away.
See you there!